Press Release
FEBRUARY 2nd, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
NEWS MEDIA ONLY: TIM
O’CONNOR
561-671-4013 |
WEST
PALM BEACH, FL – The
Palm Beach County Health
Department is recommending
relief workers and other
people traveling to Haiti in
the aftermath of the January
12th earthquake to be
prepared. Conditions in the
area remain hazardous.
Anyone departing for Haiti
should visit their doctor to
follow recommendations from
the US Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention and
ensure all necessary
vaccines are up to date to
prevent illness.
-
Make sure you and travel
mates are up to date on
vaccines such as
measles/mumps/rubella
(MMR),
diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus
(DPT), polio, seasonal
and H1N1 flu, and
varicella. It is
especially important to
have a current
tetanus shot.
-
Hepatitis A or
immune globulin (IG):
Even if your departure
is imminent, one dose of
hepatitis A vaccine
provides adequate
short-term protection
for healthy people. For
long term protection, a
second dose is required
6–18 months after the
first dose, depending on
the brand of vaccine
used.
-
Typhoid:
There are 2 vaccines
available for typhoid
prevention. The
injectable vaccine may
be preferable to the
oral vaccine in cases
where travel is
imminent. The oral
vaccine requires
refrigeration and 4
tablets taken every
other day over one week.
-
Hepatitis B:
If your departure is
imminent, the first in a
3-dose series (day 0, 1
month and 6 months) may
provide some protection.
An accelerated dosing
schedule may be used
(doses at days 0, 7, and
at 21–30 days with a
booster at 12 months).
-
Rabies: If
your activities in Haiti
will bring you into
contact with animals
such as dogs, cats,
bats, raccoons, or
skunks, you should
consider pre-exposure
rabies vaccination,
which is a 3-shot series
(days 0, 7, and 21 or
28) given before travel.
Even if you receive
pre-exposure
vaccination, you will
still need immediate
medical treatment if you
are bitten or scratched
by an animal.
-
Malaria
occurs in all parts of
Haiti. Ways to prevent
malaria include the
following: Take a
prescription
antimalarial drug. Use
insect repellent and
wear long pants and
sleeves to prevent
mosquito bites. Sleeping
in air-conditioned or
well-screened rooms or
using bed nets. No
antimalarial drug is
100% protective, so it
is important to use all
three ways to prevent
malaria
Palm Beach County Health
Department Director Alina
Alonso, M.D., says, “There
are many active hazards
relief workers may be
exposed to. Good prevention
methods are the best defense
against contracting illness.
In addition there are many
recommendations for
Americans to follow while in
Haiti. This information will
be updated regularly online,
as we monitor the conditions
being reported by officials
there.”
The full recommendations can
be found on the Palm Beach
County Health Department
website at
www.pbchd.com/haiti
or
www.CDC.gov.
American Red Cross
www.redcross.org
U.S. State Dept.
www.state.gov
2010 Earthquake in Haiti
To Ask For or Provide
Information About U.S.
Citizens in Haiti
Email the Task Force at
Haiti-Earthquake@State.Gov
OR
From the U.S. or Canada,
call 888-407-4747.
Outside the U.S. and Canada,
call 202-501-4444
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